Part I

The meaning of the word "Buddha" is "the Enlightened One".  It is also the first character of the "Awareness" in Chinese.  If you're not aware, then how do you describe "Awareness"?  The assertion of the practice in the Buddhism is: You shouldn't look outward for the "Awareness" but should look inward for the "Awareness" or "Realization".  How do you look inward to find the "Awareness"?  It's very simple.  When I clap my hands, you hear the sound with your mind.  That is the "Awareness".  But, there are many people cannot hear the sound of hand clapping.  It is because there are too many sounds in our mind and those sounds drown the sound of my clapping.

There was a story regarding the Zen Sect.  There was a disciple, his master was a Zen Master.  He imitated whatever his master taught during the teachings.  No matter what kind of questions people asked, his master always stuck one finger out as the answer.  Therefore, he thought: "This is Zen.  It's simple.  I know how to do that."  Thus, people asked him what is the method to use in practicing Zen or what is Zen?  He just imitated his master answering by sticking out one finger.  After his master learned what he was doing, he asked him: "I hear that you are very good at teaching the Zen.  Let me ask you what is Zen?"  He said: "Master, the Zen is" and he stuck out one finger.  His master got a knife and cut his finger off.  At that very moment, he was enlightened.

We should constantly practice, even life after life.  That is to watch and to be aware of what's on our mind.  But now a day, people want to become a master within three days.  Some people come to the temple to learn meditation for three days, after that they start to teach people how to meditate.  But we cannot blame them because life is short.  The Buddhism asserts that: Life is also impermanent.

The origination of the Zen Sect was: Once upon a time, Sakyamuni Buddha was teaching on the Spirit Vulture Peak.  He was holding a flower on his seat and then he smiled.  Many his disciples and the heavenly beings in the assembly didn't understand what he was doing.  Only one of the ten great disciples, Mahakasyapa, also smiled when he saw the Buddha holding the flower smiling.  Then, the Buddha said: "I have a True Dharma that could not be seen, which is the wondrous mind of Nirvana and a Profound Method of the formless reality.  Now I transmit it to Mahakasyapa."

Therefore, no matter what the Buddha is doing, there always were reasons why.  While the Buddha was holding a flower smiling, in that very moment he transmitted the Zen Sect, such a great practice method, to Mahakasyapa.  Afterwards, Mahakasyapa transmitted it to Ananda, the attendant of the Buddha.  After many transmissions, Zen is transmitted to the most famous Bodhidharma, he was the twenty-eight patriarch of the Zen Sect.  He also is the first patriarch of the Zen Sect in China.  Before coming to China, he had learned that the Buddhism was very popular in China.  It was the period of Emperor Liang, who was called "The Emperor of Buddha's Mind".  Emperor Liang was very supportive in propagating the Buddha Dharma.  He was an emperor who dedicated to cultivating the Buddha mind.  Therefore, Buddhism was very popular in China at that time.  Hence, with a very joyful mind, Bodhidharma wished to propagate Zen Sect into China.

Bodhidharma was full of confidence when he came to China to see Emperor Liang.  But, there wasn't any Dharmic connection between them.  Because Emperor Liang had done many good deeds and he had accumulated a lot of merit, he asked Bodhidharma: "I would like to ask you, the Zen Master, that since I had done so many good deeds, how great my merit is?"  Bodhidharma said: "You don't have any merit."  Emperor Liang was very unhappy to hear that.  This person who came from India with dark skin may not have any realization at all.  Why he said that I don't have any merit.  So, Emperor Liang didn't pay any attention to him.

This concept is related to the above stanza: "The Formless Reality".  Buddhism asserts that the true reality is not attached to any form.  If you have done many good deeds, you will have huge merit.  There won't be any question about that.  But, how do you measure your merit?  You will not have any merit if your mind clings to it.  Because the Buddhism asserts "Selflessness", when we cling to the notion that: "I have a great practice or I have done many good deeds", then how could you feel that you have done good deeds?  Therefore, this kind of thinking doesn't correspond to the "Formless Method" in Buddhism.  Although Emperor Liang had done many good deeds such as building temples, etc. and he collected huge amount of merit, but his practice did not match the path of non-attachment to form.  He could not unite with Bodhidharma.  Bodhidharma knew that there were no good cause and conditions yet at the time.  Therefore, he went to Song Mountain's Sao Ling temple facing the wall to continue his meditation practice.

Bodhidharma did not propagate any Dharma, but his reputation in cultivating the Right Path spred very far.  His reputation came to the ears of Hui Ke.  Hui Ke then came to the Shao Lin Temple in Song Shan to request the Dharma from Bodhidharma.  At that time, Hui Ke's name was Shen Guang.  The name, Hui Ke, was given by Bodhidharma to him later on.

Hui Ke was requesting the Dharma in front of the Bodhidharma.  Bodhidharma said: "What Dharma you would like to request?  What question do you have?  Look at your appearance, you would not understand anything even I teach you something.  If you want me to teach you, I will do only if the color of the snow is red."  This is the way that Bodhidharma was testing the determination of Hui Ke.  Hui Ke took his Knife of the Discipline and cut his arm off.  This is the most famous "Cutting the arm to request the Dharma" of the Zen Sect.  Bodhidharma knew that Hui Ke had a strong determination in requesting the Dharma.  He said: "Ok.  It's the time for us to discuss the Buddha Dharma.  What question do you have?"  Hui Ke said: "My mind is very unsettled.  The Most Virtuous Master, please settle my mind for me."  Bodhidharma said: "Give me your mind.  I will settle it for you."  Then Hui Ke was looking for his mind but he could not find it.  He said: "I couldn't find my mind."  Bodhidharma said: "I had already settled your mind."  This is the most famous story regarding the first patriarch of the Zen Sect transmitting the Dharma to the second patriarch.  Afterwards, the second patriarch transmitted the Dharma to the third patriarch Seng Can, the fourth patriarch Dao Xin, the fifth patriarch Hong Ren, then to the most famous sixth patriarch Master Hui Neng.

Master Hui Neng was born in a very remote mountainous area and he didn't get any education.  He made a living by chopping the firewood.  One day, he was carrying the firewood to sell in an inn.  He heard someone was reciting "The Diamond Sutra".  As he heard the sentence: "One's mind should arise without attachment."  He got enlightened immediately.  When you get enlightened it doesn't mean you become a Buddha.  Getting enlightenment is to let you know the nature of your mind and to awaken to the truth.  Getting enlightenment is like having a light in a very dark room.  Getting a small enlightenment will let you see the layout of the room.  Getting a great enlightenment is that you not only can see the layout of the room but you can also see the things outside.  It is like you are in the sunlight.  Although Master Hui Neng was a only a woodcutter in this life, he got enlightenment easily once he heard this stanza of The Diamond Sutra because he had practiced in his past lives.  This is the assertion of the strength of the practice in the former existences in Buddhism.

Master Hui Neng obtained the support from others.  He used this money to settle his parent.  Then, he went to Huang Mei where the fifth patriarch Hong Ren lived to request the Dharma.  He went to Master Hong Ren's monastery.  At the time, many disciples were under the guidance of Master Hong Ren.  Everybody was doing his best in learning the Buddhadharma.  Among the disciples, there was a Head Monk, master Shen Xui, who had the best practice.  Everybody said that: "Master Shen Xui will be the sixth patriarch in the future.  The fifth patriarch acclaims him the most."  When the fifth patriarch met Hui Neng, he said: "You, the barbarian, just look like a savage.  How can you know how to practice Dharma.  You should work in the Kitchen."  Actually, at the moment when the fifth patriarch saw Hui Neng, he knew that Hui Neng was a talented person who would become a patriarch.  For fear that there were too many people in the monastery and they might spread the rumors, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he told Hui Neng to work and to practice in the kitchen, where nobody would pay attention to him.

One day, the fifth patriarch told everybody that: "Everybody had followed me to practice Zen studied the Buddhadharma for a long time.  I would like everybody to write a stanza and hand it to me to see whether you got enlightened or not."  Master Shen Xiu then wrote a very famous stanza: "The body is like a Bodhi tree.  The mind is like a clear stage of mirror.  I wipe it from time to time.  Don't let any dust accumulate on that mirror."  After reading that stanza, everybody said that: "What a profound contemplation!  The cassock and the almsgiving bowl of the Zen Sect will definitely transmit to Shen Xiu."  This news spread to the kitchen.  After learning the news, Hui Neng said: "Everybody is reciting this stanza.  This stanza is excellent.  Would you show me where this stanza is?"  They said: "You are illiterate.  Why should we show you the stanza?"  Hui Neng said: "Don't look down on me!  An uneducated person could have the superior wisdom."  After listening what he said, they felt that what he said made sense and they took him to the wall in the monastery to see this stanza.  After reading this stanza, Hui Neng knew that Shen Xiu hadn't realized the Nature of the mind yet.  Then he wrote a stanza: "The Bodhi is not a tree.  The mirror is also not like a stage.  Originally, there is nothing.  Where is the dust going to accumulate on?"  Many people said frequently that: "We want to practice to cut off the defilement."  If you don't let defilement arise from your mind then you won't be in trouble to cut off the defilement.  You go and look for what the defilement look like?  What shape it is?  What color it is?  What it sounds like?

Could you find out what the defilement is?  You can analyze the defilement but you cannot find the defilement.  Therefore, the nature of defilement is emptiness.  If you want to cut off the defilement then you end up having more defilement.

Everybody was shocked when reading the stanza written by Master Hui Neng.  Because he was a savage who didn't get any educations but he could write this kind of stanza.  In comparing of these two stanzas, everybody knew that Hui Neng had a very good instinct.  This news spread to the ears of the fifth patriarch Hong Ren.  He ran to that wall and used his shoes to erase the stanza written by Hui Neng immediately.  He said: "What kind of stanza it is.  The writer of this stanza hasn't realized the nature of the mind either."  Because the master had said so, nobody cared about this matter anymore.  In the night, the fifth patriarch Hong Ren came to the kitchen where Hui Neng stayed.  He used his cane to knock on the floor three times.  Hui Neng came to the fifth patriarch Hong Ren's room at three o'clock over night.  He understood that the fifth patriarch had very important Dharma that he wanted to transmit to him.  Therefore, Hui Neng received the Dharma right away and he left the fifth patriarch's monastery immediately.  He brought the cassock and the almsgiving bowl and ran.  In the next morning, everybody found that Hui Neng was gone.  Hui Neng had already run far away.  Some problems had occurred in the past at that time of history transmitting the Dharma to the successor.  Everybody wanted to snatch the cassock and the almsgiving bowl and followed Hui Neng for a long way.  A person without wisdom would think that as long as I got these cassock and almsgiving bowl, then the Dharma is mine.  Actually, the cassock and the almsgiving bowl are only the symbol of the Dharma.  Whether he has truly realized and received the Dharma it isn't affirmed by the cassock and the almsgiving bowl he got.  Until the stage of Hui Neng visiting the fifth patriarch, he hadn't become a monk yet and he was still a layman.  Therefore, in the inheritance of the Buddhism, a Dharma transmission does not only transmit to the monk or nun but it is transmitted to the person who truly carries the Dharma.

Hui Neng suffered a lot during his journey.  But he then became a Great Master.  The other disciple of the fifth patriarch Hong Ren, Master Shen Xiu also had a very good attainment.  His way of practice is different.  It is to practice step by step and it is a gradual path.  But, the way of practice of Master Hui Neng is to get enlightenment suddenly.  During that time, everybody called them "Sudden Enlightenment of the South and Gradual Enlightenment of the North".  Everybody can be benefit by these two methods of practice.  Therefore, it doesn't matter what method you are practicing as long as you choose the one that is suitable for you.

There isn't any big difference in the teaching of the Zen Sect.  It is characterized by the different methods used by each patriarch to transmit the Dharma.  The Zen Sect asserts that "Do not settle on the words".  Therefore, you could not find out which sutra represents the Zen Sect in the Tripitaka and Twelve divisions.  Zen Sect emphasizes on the method to practice the meditation.  Not only the sitting meditation is Zen, but also walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, eating, and drinking, all the daily activities are Zen.  Therefore, the patriarch of the Zen Sect said: "What is the Zen?  Zen is eating and sleeping."  The Buddha's teaching is that simple.  But, many people don't know how to eat and many people cannot sleep well.  How to practice?  When it's time to eat then just eat and when it's time to sleep then just sleep, living at the present moment.  Thus, the Zen Sect is called "The Meditation of Contemplation".  Zen is not only sitting meditation.  Therefore, the Zen Sect asserts that "Getting Enlightenment" is called "Breaking the Emptiness".  In that very moment of "Breaking the Emptiness", it is the conception of "Getting Enlightenment".  Everybody has different moment when getting enlightenment.

When we have heard too many stories about getting enlightenment, it makes us "Take the False as True" very easily and we think that we are enlightened.  Actually, we are still on the way of practice.  Enlightenment is also unobtainable.  We meditate to adjust our bodies and minds, which is the basic requirement in practicing Zen.  When our bodies and minds reach certain stage of the concentration, then we can practice "The Meditation of Contemplation" to reach the state of Samadhi.  Don't be careless of our thoughts and mental activities, these activities show the level of compassion and wisdom.  Living in the society to get along with others, we should be very careful about the actions of our bodies, speeches and minds.  We should use the method of the Zen to express them.

Part II

To explain Zen with a very simple sentence, Zen is “Wisdom”.  “Wisdom” cannot be described with any language or translation.  In Sanskrit, wisdom is “Prajna”. Zen Sect asserts that “Don’t rely on the texts and words”.  It is to tell us not to attach to the terminology and ideology.  If we are attached to the terminology and ideology of the Sutras, not only we cannot practice well but it also becomes an obstacle for us to realize the truth because language and translations are only indicators to the direction.  In our library, there are so many Sutras and stories of the Zen Sect told by the Great Zen Masters.  These are the examples and references to us.  It is not guaranteed that we can realize the truth and become Buddha after reading these books.  But, we shouldn’t stop reading Sutras.

There are four methods to Zen.  The first one is “The Contemplating meditation”.  This is a method to practice Zen.  It introduces the way of meditation.  It is a practice of how to pay attention to your breath and how to count your breath while meditating.  Some of the methods teach you how to visualize during the meditation.  You can visualize the images of the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas or a lotus, a steady object.  It utilizes various pure-images to clam your mind.  Because our brains are very active, therefore, our visualization is creative just like playing a movie.  But, we as human beings use it in a wrong way.  Therefore, we have created many obstacles.  Zen Sect precisely uses this as an antidote.  You like to think, just let yourself think.  Let yourself think of good things and use good things to guide your thoughts.  With this method, it is using the visualization to concentrate on the visualized object in your mind.  This method of Zen practices is called “The Contemplating Meditation”.  All methods are excellent.  But, you need to practice diligently on the method that is suitable for you then you will benefit from it.  If you have good concentration, then you will be effective in your studies.  When you have a focused mind, then you can absorb all the knowledge in the written materials.  If you have good concentration, you can use it in your daily life also.  It will be a great help.

The second one is “The Wisdom Meditation”.  “The Wisdom Meditation” is to practice based on the Dharma Words recorded from the Zen Masters or the Virtuous Laypeople’s conversations after they got enlightenment.  This is called “The Wisdom Meditation”.

The third one is “The Tathagata Meditation”.  Why it is called “The Tathagata Meditation”?  It is because that all living beings have “Buddha-Nature”.  Our “Self-Nature” equals to the “Buddha-Nature”.  Therefore, it is “The Zen of Buddha-Nature”.  When we realize the truth and see our Buddha-Nature, this is called “The Tathagata Meditation”.  Then, who can realize “The Tathagata Meditation”?  Only you can.  Because only you know that you have realized Buddha-Nature.  Other people won’t know what you have attained.

The fourth one is “The Patriarch Meditation”.  It is what I said before.  The Buddha, Sakyamuni, transmitted the True Dharma to Mahakasyapa while holding a flower with the smile on the Spirit Vulture Peak in India.  “Buddha held a flower and smiled” is also one of “The Patriarch Meditation”.  It then transmitted to China.  There was a very famous Zen Master in Chinese Zen Sect.  His name is “Lin Ji Li” — Master Lin Ji.  Therefore, there are many inheritances of the Lin Ji Linage in the Zen Sect.  Many of disciples are in Lin Ji Lineage including myself.  The most famous method in the Lin Ji Lineage is called “To bang and to bawl”.  It is to use the incense board to hit the students.  Sometimes, the students got enlightened in that one bang.  The Zen Master will bang the student no matter it is right or wrong.  Therefore, when attending the Seven Days Zen Retreat in the Zen Hall, the Zen Master, who leads the retreat, holds an incense board in his/her hand.  It is because we have many wondering thoughts.  Although our bodies are sitting still, during the meditation, we are playing the movies in our minds.  The Zen Master, who leads the retreat, knows that you are having wondering thoughts.  When the Zen Master hit you, all of your wondering thoughts are gone.  Therefore, “The Patriarch Meditation” is to use various methods from every activity of the Zen Master, such as walking, eating, sitting, sleeping, and any movement, to lead the living beings into the practice.

The most famous in “The Patriarch Meditation” is the Koan in Zen Sect.  Many westerners are attracted by Zen because it’s mystical.  For example, there is a Koan about a bird flying into a bottle.  Then, it wants you to find the answer of where is the bird in that bottle?  It doesn’t let you to use common everyday logic to explain things.  It makes you concentrate to explore the answer.  Another Koan is about an iron ox.  There is a mosquito flying toward an iron ox.  The mosquito bits the iron ox.  Do you know the answer?  This is Zen.  If you know the answer, then you are a Zen Master.  Zen Sect is very alive, and it uses various interesting methods.  Because Koan is beyond common sense, this is the reason why it cannot be described with any language or translations in Zen.

Part III

These various types of Zen teach us how to practice.  Many people said: “Why cannot I progress in practicing Zen?”  Our “Nature” is pure and bright; it is like sunlight.  But, hidden behind dark clouds, which is our ignorance.  The sun is above the dark clouds.  Therefore, we cannot see the sun, but is still there.  Unless you disperse those dark clouds, you will not see the sunlight.  These are the Karmic Obstructions in our minds.  When we practice diligently, it is like wind slowly blowing off the dark clouds.  After that, the sunlight will appear.

Actually, practicing Zen is not just sitting meditation.  We can practice Zen any time.  Because many people admire Zen and fell that Zen is very powerful and mystical, Zen Sect is very popular in the west.  Sometimes, I saw some news on the newspapers regarding criminals, who had committed serious crime by killing people.  The newspapers said that this criminal is very intelligent; police almost couldn’t solve the case.  They said this is a wisdom-type murderer.  Actually, the newspapers were wrong because if a person has wisdom, he will not commit any crime at all.  Wisdom is a virtue produced in people’s mind.  It is a strength coming from the practice and realization in our minds from inward to outward.  If these murderers had virtue, then they would not commit the crime.  Therefore, you can say they are smart but you cannot say they have wisdom.  Wisdom is the strength of the mind but smart is only a perception of keen ears and sharp eyes.

The reason why I said: “It is very difficult to explain Zen” at the beginning, it is because that Zen is “Wisdom” and having wisdom is Zen.  If you pay a Zen practitioner to commit a crime, he will never do it.  Therefore, social convention misleads people sometimes.  The sentient beings in this world have three most powerful senses, which are our eyes, ears and minds.  We should start our practice from our Six Sense-Organs.  The practice of our eyes is very simple.  That is our eyes should not be controlled by the outer phenomenon.  Don’t look outward to cling to the phenomenon.  We should look inward for the pureness and peacefulness in our minds.  The method is just like driving a car through a tunnel.  It is dark inside the tunnel and you just keep driving.  You will feel the darkness when you close your eyes.  Just let your mind go straightforward.  Gradually, you will see the light on the other side of the tunnel.

The practice of the ears is the same way.  For example, now you hear a sound of clapping hands.  You keep on listen to hear the true sound of this sound.  The sound fades away immediately but this sound made a deep impression in your mind.  Therefore, you feel that you can still hear this sound in your mind.  You listen inward and keep on listening inward to hear the true sound of the sound.  Finally, you will find that there is nothing.  Even though you listen, you don’t hear the sound?  This is one type of practice on ears.  Many people said that: “Don’t think about anything while meditating.”  This is wrong.  You should know everything while meditating but you are not affected by anything.  Meditation equals to open up your mind.  You can see and hear things clearer than others.  A true Zen practitioner is a safe driver because you know the movements of all vehicles from all directions.  You know how to turn and how to stop.  If you don’t know anything, then it means you are falling into sleep.  Practicing Zen, you feel that you don’t have anything, but at the same time, you feel that you have everything.  It is because that everything in the universe is in your mind and everything is under your observation.

Part IV

There were two Zen Masters.  They lived in the mountains that faced each other.  If they wanted to talk, then they would shout from one to the other.  One day, a woodcutter was working on the mountain.  He heard two Zen Masters were shouting and talking to each other.  The Zen Master on the east mountain asked the Zen Master on the west mountain: “How is your achievement this year?”  The Zen Master on the west mountain said: “I had a large piece of land last year, but, this year, I only have a small place to stick an awl.”  The Zen Master on the east mountain said: “Congratulations!”  The Zen Master on the west mountain then asked the Zen Master on the east mountain: “How are you doing this year?”  The Zen Master on the east mountain said: “I had a place to stick an awl last year, but I have nothing this year.”  The Zen Master on the west mountain said: “You won!”  The woodcutter heard their conversations and he thought what are these two lunatic persons talking about?

The land that these two Zen Masters were talking about it wasn’t the land as real estate.  Having a large piece of land last year means there is still a lot of attachment.  Having only a place to stick an awl means that there is still a small bit of attachment, which has not been put down yet.  The other Zen Master has nothing that means he doesn’t have any attachment at all.  Therefore, this is a good thing and he should be congratulated.  This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have anything; it means that we shouldn’t have any attachment.  You can have something but you shouldn’t be attached to it.

If our mind is not pure enough, even we become a homeless, can we say that we don’t have any attachment?  Actually, those homeless people, who only have one box to sleep in, they are very attached to this box.  If you wanted to take their box away, they would fight for it with their lives.  Therefore, we cannot say that we don’t have attachment because we don’t have material things.  Some people ask that:  “What is the practice like?”  The practice is we should plant the flower when spring comes, mow the lawn in the summer, clean up the fallen leaves during the fall, and plow the snow in the winter.  That is Zen.

The Great Virtuous Patriarch had said that: “I would not eat if I did not work today.”  Therefore, the monks and nuns they do lots of works.  It was after I became a nun, then I realized that the practice is in my daily life.  If we cannot take any pain from this physical body within thirty minutes of meditation, then how can we attain the stage of concentration?  Therefore, we should have confidence and patience while doing chores.  The practice should be selfless.  If we have a big attachment to self, then we cannot accomplish many things.  Practice is a promise life after life.

Buddhism also teaches Zen in actions.  The Zen in actions means that we can practice within every action.  Therefore, Zen is very simple yet very complicated.  Zen is wisdom.  If you practice diligently, then your wisdom will berevealed.  Our society needs people who have wisdom.  We need more people who have wisdom because our society has many problems.  If a leader didn’t have wisdom, then we would be very worried.  When we are dissatisfied with our leader, we should blame ourselves because he was elected by us - the people.  Therefore, I hope everybody practice well to elect a good leader, who is full of compassion and wisdom to help our country and the world.